Conveyor supported weight indicating device



Feb. 24, 1970v H. RAMIS CONVEYOR SUPPORTED WEIGHT INDICATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 18, l968 R 5 Wuhan T W A I. M S m m Y 3 Q3 E U EQQQQQ I Z 1 I United States Patent US. Cl. 177-147 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A support device having a wheel mounted frame for movement over an overhead rail, with the device suspended from a calibrated spring such that the weight of an article supported by the device may be readily ascertained.

Summary of the invention In many industries such as meat packing and warehousing there are required instances of weight inventory. In the past the inventory necessitated the removal of the stored articles to a remote weight station for weight determination, a procedure that was time consuming.

The present invention relates to an article supporting member movable over a conveyor system such as an overhead rail with the supporting member spring gauged to visually indicate the weight of the article thereon. In meat packing and in warehousing the carcass is suspended from the supporting member which is usually in the form of a hook element which in turn is carried by a gauge which comprises a predetermined compression spring which together with the hook element is suspended on a wheeled frame; thus the hanging carcass can be moved about and its weight periodically determined Without removal from the conveyor system.

Detailed description The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form of construction and arrangement of parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the weight indicating conveyor hook;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the weight indicating conveyor hook;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the scaled hook supporting member utilized in the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a removable hook member which may be associated with the weight indicating conveyor portion of this invention.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a frame preferably formed from a substantially fiat rectangular piece of metal. The frame 10 has one end laterally and reversely bent to provide a U-shaped mounting 11 with the free end thereof terminating into a spaced parallelly extending leg 12. A stud shaft 13 is projected between the frame 10 and the leg 12 and on which is freely journaled a conveyor wheel 14.

The lower end portion of the frame 10 is bent to extend transversely to the elongated length of the frame 10 beneath and spaced from the U-shaped mounting 11 to form a support shelf 15.

The support shelf 15 carries a depending hollow open bottom housing 16. Contained within the center bore of the housing 16 is the elongated shank 17 of a scaled hook supporting member 18. One end of the hook supporting member 18 terminates into a closed eyelet 19, which is adapted to freely receive a corresponding closed eyelet 20 formed at one end of the medial portion 21 of a hook 22. The closed eyelet 19 of the supporting member 18 is adapted to be disposed substantially in vertical alignment with the conveyor wheel 14 and beneath the support shelf 15 as shown.

The upper end portion of the shank 17 of the supporting member 18 has connected thereto a retaining member 23 which is of a size to be freely projected into and moved through the center bore of the hollow housing 16.

Freely journaled on the shank 17 of the supporting member 18 is a plug 24, which by means of set screws or pins 25 is fixedly connected to the housing 16 closing the open end thereof.

Embracing the shank 17 of the supporting member 18 between the retaining member 23 and the plug 24 is a calibrated coil spring 26. The normal expansion of the spring 26 between the retaining member 23 and the plug 24 maintains the supporting member 18 as well as its supported hook 22 in the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When an article is hung from the hook 22 its weight will cause movement of the supporting member 18 through the plug 24 exposing the shank 17 thereof out of the free end of the housing 16. As seen in FIG. 3 the shank 17 of the supporting member 18 is provided with weight indicia 27 which is correlated to the calibrated spring 26 so as to visually indicate the weight of the article supported by the hook 22.

The hook 22 is provided with an integrally formed handle 28 which extends laterally to one side of the medial portion 21 of the hook 22 as shown. This handle facilitates the maintaining of the hook 22 in a desired position while an article to be supported thereby is placed thereon. It will also aid in the movement of the weight indicating hook over a conveyor system throughout the storage compartment, thus permitting a relocation of the weighed article as required.

As shown in FIG. 4 there is a hook 29 which includes an elongated medial portion 30 terminating to one end into a reversely bent leg 31 by which the hook 29 may be removably associated with the closed eyelet 19 of the supporting member 18 of the weight indicating conveyor hook. The hook 29 also provides an integrally formed handle 32 which functions in the same manner as the heretofore described handle 28.

As the shank 17 of the supporting member 18 is freely contained in the housing 16 it is permitted to be axially rotated so that the hook 22 may be disposed in any direction with respect thereto.

By reason of the few parts and the simplicity of the mechanical arrangement thereof the device may be readily cleaned and sterilized and be subject to harsh treatment without interfering with its effective operation.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A conveyor supported article carrying and weighing device comprising:

(a) an elongated substantially reactangular shaped metallic frame having one end portion reversely bent relative to its longitudinal length to provide a mounting for a conveyor wheel,

(b) a conveyor wheel rotatably carried in said mounting and adapted to be movable over a conveyor supporting track and the like,

(c) said frame having its opposite end bent transversely to its longitudinal length beneath and in spaced relation to said mounting so as to provide a supporting shelf,

((1) a hollow open end housing carried beneath said shelf with said shelf closing one end thereof,

(e) means closing the opposite end of said housing,

(f) a weight supporting member having a portion movable through the center bore of said housing and said closing means, and providing externally of said housing an article receiving portion,

(g) a calibrated weighing element captured within said housing and yieldably resisting movement of said weight supporting member therethrough under the weight of an article supported on said article receiving portion thereof,

(h) weight indicia on said portion of said weight supporting member that is movable through the center bore and out of said housing correlated to said calibrated weighing element to visually indicate the weight of the article supported on said article receiv ing portion of said weight supporting member, and

(i) a means on said article receiving portion of said weight supporting member for moving said device over a conveyor supporting track and the like.

2. A conveyor supported article carrying and weighing device as defined by claim 1 wherein said weight supporting member comprises an elongated rod extending axially in said housing, and having a portion journaled through said means closing the opposite end of said housing, and with the external portion thereof comprising a free hanging hook for supporting an article thereon.

3. A conveyor supported article carrying and weighing I 4. A conveyor supported article carrying and weighing device as defined by claim 2 wherein said calibrated weighing element is a compression spring captured within the center bore of said housing and coiled about the portion of said elongated rod which is disposed within and movable through said housing, and upon which said weight indicia appears.

5. A conveyor supported article carrying and weighing device as defined by claim 1 wherein said means on said article receiving portion of said weight supporting member comprises an integral handle formed thereon.

6. A conveyor supported article carrying and weighing device as defined by claim 4 wherein said external portion of said elongated rod comprises an integral handle extending through the normal plane of said rod and to one side thereof opposite said hook.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 780,712 1/1905 Driskel 177161 XR 1,507,598 9/1924 Gustafson 177147 2,450,188 9/1948 De Graft 177 232 XR 2,586,245 2/1952 McRae 177 232 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 577,485 5/1958 Italy.

ROBERT S. WARD, 1a., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 177-161, 232 

